Heretofore, to eliminate backlash in a gear shift lever assembly, it has been customary to adjust the conduit or sheath which surrounds the usual cable, in order to eliminate any backlash that may be present in the system. One example of a sheath adjusting lash removal device is shown and described in Ruhala U.S. Pat. No. 3,546,962.
Another known adjustable cable assembly, namely, Deck U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,622, provides adjustment of both the cable and sheath. The sheath includes a threaded coupling member threadedly connected to a rotatable bracket. Rotation of the latter serves to move the coupling member and, hence, the cable and sheath. A lock nut retains the adjusted setting of the bracket and coupling member.
Still another known self-adjusting cable control device is disclosed in Pickell U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,400. In this arrangement, when an adjustment needs to occur because of slack, a spring urges a toothed member connected to a cable to move so as to cause frustoconical surfaces to engage to lift toothed collet members out of engagement with the toothed member until the slack in the cable is removed and the teeth re-engage at a new position.